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At a time when video games are becoming increasingly expensive, players are paying closer attention than ever to pricing. This is especially true on digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store, where publishers frequently run sales and special promotions. But according to a recent report from Push Square, it appears that not all players are seeing the same prices, a discovery that has left part of the community frustrated.
Some PlayStation players may be paying more than others
The issue first came to light thanks to a Reddit user whose post has since been removed by moderators. As reported by Push Square, the user noticed that the price of Assassin’s Creed Unity, which recently received a free update from Ubisoft, changed depending on how the PlayStation Store was accessed. When browsing the store without being logged in, the game appeared to be discounted to £3.74.
However, after logging into their PlayStation account, the price suddenly increased to £9.99. Strange as it may sound, the case doesn’t appear to be isolated. The same difference reportedly occurs with The Last of Us 2 Remastered, which shows a price of £44.99 on the store before login, but drops to £42.49 once the user signs into their PlayStation account. Rather than a simple glitch, this could be part of a broader pricing experiment conducted by Sony.
A large-scale pricing experiment?
That’s the conclusion reached by the website PS Prices, which has reportedly been tracking this phenomenon for several months. In a recent article, the site suggests that the discrepancies are part of an A/B testing system designed to measure how sensitive players are to different price points. « Some PlayStation Store users are seeing experimental prices significantly lower than the standard retail price », the site explains. « This is an A/B test controlled by Sony to study the price elasticity of demand. Users are randomly assigned to either the control group or the test group, and therefore see different prices for the same games.»
According to PS Prices, the scope of the test has expanded considerably in recent months. What began as an experiment involving around 50 games across 30 regions has reportedly grown to more than 150 games in 68 regions, now including several major titles from Sony itself. Games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarok, Helldivers 2, Astro Bot, and Gran Turismo 7 are all said to be part of the test.
Unsurprisingly, the discovery has not gone down well with many PlayStation players, some of whom have been quick to criticize the practice. One player described the situation as « absolutely ridiculous and extremely scummy. Shame on Sony » while another claimed that the PlayStation Store has become « most of the time a hot garbage for prices/sales.» For now, Sony has not issued an official statement regarding these alleged pricing tests. Until then, players will likely continue to keep a close eye on the numbers appearing on their screens.
Source: PushSquare
